Interlocked carton



Jul 12, 1960 J. A. MARINO ETAI. 2,944,723

INTERLOCKED CARTON Filed July 14, 1953 2"Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS fig 2 lav/5179mm .41 J SEPH AKINO BY 70 g a:

IKQJM ATTORNEY-5 July 12, 1960 Y J. A. MARINO ETAL INTERLOCKED CARTON Filed July 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ZOUJSHflYEK (JHSEPH/YHFINO BY (Buzz 4 Mam ATTORNEYS ed. State Pat 2,944,723 INTERLOCKED CARTON Joseph A. Marino, Brooklyn, and Louis Mayer, Jackson Heights, N.Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, 21 corporation of Ohio FiledJuly l4,195 8, Ser. No. 743,315 4 Claims. cl .;z29-s4.

. .It is also an object of the present invention to provide a carton having upstanding walls which are formed of a plurality of plies of the material of construction.

It is also an object of -the present invent-ion to provide a die-cut slotted and scored sheetof 'saidmaterialwhich is capable of simple anduncomplicated,assembly.

. It is also an object of this invention to provide such a blank which is economical in that jit involvesa minimum of waste.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilledpin the art by reference to the attached drawings on which there is presented for purposes of illustration only a'particular embodiment of the invention. 1

In the drawings: p 7

Fig. l is a plan view, partially broken, of thesingle piece blank which may be 'used in formingthe carton of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a three-quarter perspective view of the of Fig. 1 in an intermediate stage of its erection into the carton of the invention.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2, but showing a further stage in the erection of the carton.

Fig. 4 is like Fig. 3, but showing still a further stage in the erection of the carton. I I

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the carton in its final assembled form but with a portion broken away. 7 N

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section'taken on the line 66 of Fig.5, .1

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 7' -7 of Fig.5. o e

Basically, the present; invention is concerned with 'a,

. as shown has been slitted and scored so as to. define a ice central panel 12 outlined by spaced score'lines 14 and larity of the contour of the carton I elsas more specificallydescribed hereinabove being procarton construction which'includes a bottomwall having upstanding walls foldablv,connected'thereto, said up standing walls each being composed of-a pair of panels serially connected to the bottom wall and-folded face-toface'with each other and normal to the bottom wall,

flaps extending laterally and foldably from certain of said panels, said flaps interfitting between panels in an adjacent wall, certain of said flaps and panelsbeing provided with a notch which will register when assembled to define a recess, and tabs on certain of said panels being receivable in said recesses-to provide an interlocked or self-locking construction. 1

Referring now more specifically to the drawings there 15 serving as fold lines, and spaced score lines 16 and 17 also serving as fold lines and being perpendicular to the some lines 14 and 15. A pair of panels 18 extend laterally beyond the score lines 14 and 15. Each of the panels 18 have a flap 19 foldably connected to each end and'separated therefrom by a fold line 1911. Fold lines 19a are in alignment with the score lines 16 and 17. The flaps 19 are each provided with a notch or a cut; out 20 along the fold line 19a and adjacent the bottom wall panel 12. A pair of panels 21 extend respectively from the panels 18 and are separated therefrom, respec.-. tively, by a fold line 22. Minor tabs 23 extend from eachend ofthe outermost or remote panels 21 and are separated therefrom by a score line fold line 24.

A pair of end wall panels 31 extend respectively beyond the spaced score lines 16and 17. Similarly, a pair of e'ndwall panels 34 are connected to the panels 31 and separated therefrom by a score fold line 35. The ends of the panels 34 are defined by fold lines 36 which are in alignment with the score lines 14 and 15 of the central panel 12;. The outer free edges 37 of the panels 34v are provided with cut-outs or notches 38 adjacent the ends 36. Each end of the outermost or remote panels 34 has folda-bly attached thereto flaps 41 which are sep-v arated from the panel 34 by the aforementioned fold score line 36. Each pair of respective end wall panels 31 and 34 is provided with hand-hold cut-outs 39 which are spaced to provide registration thereof when the end wall I panels are bright into face-to-face relationship and the pair of spacedscore lines so as to permit the side and end wall panels to assume more definite spaced parallel relationship when the blank is assembled into carton configuration. This will permit the various lateral flap extensions to be located between the panels in the m-an-' ner described hereinafter without ,distortion and irregu- -It will thus be seen'that the blank els vfoldably secured to the .edges outlining the central to the first panel and a plurality of lateral flap extensions on certain of said panels being adapted to be received between the first adjacentand remote panel of an adjacent wallwhen assembled, certain of said flaps and panvided with notches serving to define a recess for a tab extending laterally from opposed remote panels forming an inner ply of opposed walls.

The blank as described iserected into the carton of this invention by first folding it on the score line edges 14 and 15 to bring the panels 18 and 21 into upstanding relationship with respect to the bottomwall 12. Next,

the flaps 19 are folded inwardly as best shown in Fig. 2.

In this position, they will be normal to the. bottom wall panel 12 and in alignment above thescore line edges 16.and.17. 1

Next, the blankisifolded. about the or score lines 35 ('Fig. 3) to bring ,the panel 34 and its attached flaps 41 into normal relationship with the panels 31 at each end,

of the carton, follo'wir'rg which the panels 41 are folded outwardly away from the carton into alignment with the side panel 18, The just-described end wall assembly is then folded about the score line edge 16 sothat end wall panel 31 will abut flaps 19, and end wall panel 34 will fit down within the carton spaced from the end fold uses 22 (between as described comprises a centralpanel, .a plurality of first or adjacent pan-.

wall panel 31 with the flaps '19 therebetween. The flaps 41 will then lie in face-to-face contact with the inner surface side wall panels 13. The same procedure is followed at the otherend to yield the construction of Fig. 4. The flaps 19 will thus'be interfitted between the spaced panels 31 and 34. Itwill be seen that,-as so assembled, the notches 20 in flaps 19, and notch 38 in end wall 34 will be in registry and define a recess in the end wall (Fig. 6'). Finally, the sidewall panel 21 is folded inwardly and down within the confines of the carton while at the same time the tabs 23) are folded reversely so that they will be inclined inwardly as the panel 21 approaches overlapping relationship with the panel 18. As the panel 21 is swung down within the carton, the tab 23 will slide in facing contact with the end wall panel 34 (Fig. 4). When the panel 21 is finally in normal relationship to the bottom wall, the inwardly folded tabs 23 will snap into the recess defined by the notches 20 and 38, and thus lock the carton in its assembled form.

The carton of the invention which has been erected as described will thus be composed of a bottom wall which is composed of a single thickness of-the material of construction. The side walls will be composed of an outer ply formed by the panel 18 and an inner ply formed by the panel 21. They will embrace therebetween the flaps 41 attached to the end wall panel 34. The end walls will 'be composed of an outer ply formed by the panel 31, and an inner ply formed by the end wall panel 34. These end wall plies will embrace between them the side Wall flaps 19 foldably attached to side Wall panel 18.

The open-topped, multiple-ply walled carton thus formed is completely self-locked, and possesses superior strength by reason of the interfitting relationship provided by the flap extensions within the panels forming the respective side and end walls. The interlocking provided by the cooperative engagement of the tab 23 and the re cess, cannot be disengaged by accident, although it may be readily disengaged by the proper manipulative step of squeezing the panels 18 and 21 at the base of the carton, while at the same time pulling the tab 23 out of the recess. It will be appreciated that this combination of steps could not be accomplished by accident, although its ready adaptability to purposeful disengagement permits the user of such a carton to accomplish substantial economy of space .in storing the cartons dur-- ing periods of non-use.

Cartons of the invention are most conveniently manufactured of either corrugated board or chipboard. Corrugated board may be described as a laminate formed of a pair of outer liner or facing sheets and an inner corrugated or fluted medium. Chipboard is composed of a single sheet of paper of quite heavy caliper of appreciable strength. The carton of this invention may, of course, be manufactured of either of the above types of materials, as well as other materials having similar characteristics.

We are, of course, aware that similar carton constructions have been produced which have attempted to incorporate a locking feature by providingdownwardly extending projections on the inner ply of the side wall, and at the same time providing corresponding slits in the base of the carton. These, however, have not proved entirely satisfactory because they have been subject to disengagement, thus destroying any attendant locking. In addition, the projections have been found generally to extend beyond the bottom plane of the box and thus interfere with the normal shipping and utilization of the carton .in its erected form due to the fact that the projections catch on edges of boxes therebeneath when in stacked form, or on edges of tables, desks, andthe like. It is also apparent that the type of box described having slitsin the bottom wall thereof necessarily is of less strength due to the zone of weakness induced by these slits.

In contrast, the carton of this invention requires no slitting, and the attending weakening of the bottom wall, and at the same time provides superior locking.

Modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined inthe appended claim.

We claim:

l. A carton construction formed of'a single piece of relatively stiff, sheet-like material, said construction comprising a bottom wall of rectangular configuration defined by opposed parallel side edges and opposed parallel end edges, multiple thickness side and end walls formed by a pair of serially connected panels extending from each side and end edge being foldable normal to said bottom wall, and then the uppermost of said pair folded down into abutting relationship with the lower of said pair, said uppermost becoming the innermost ply of said respective walls, a first set of major flaps extending laterally and "foldably from each end ofthe outermost ply panel of said side wall, said major flaps being provided with a notch adjacent its associated ply panel and being adapted to 'be embraced by the panelsforming an end wall, a second set of major flaps foldably attached to each end of the innermost ply panel of said end wall being adapted to be embraced bythe panels forming a side wall, said innermost plypanels of the end walls each being provided witha notch adjacent the flap connected thereto, said notches in said inner end wall andin said first set of major flaps embraced by said end wall panels being located to be in assembled registry, and a tab extending laterally and folda-bly from the inner ply panel forming said side Wall, said tab being located in the same vertical plane as said notches, whereby it will snap into the recess formed by said notches in said end wall and hold said carton in assembled, interlocked relationship. a

. 2. In a one-piece carton formed of relatively stifi, sheet-like material, said carton having a bottom wall and multiple ply, upstanding side and end walls formed by a serially connected pair of panels connected to each edge of said bottom wall and being folded inwardly into abutting relationship normal to said bottom wall, the improvement which comprises flaps foldably connected to the outer ply panel of said side Wall adapted to interfit between panels forming said end walls, said flaps being provided with a notch adjacent their associated panel, said innermost ply panel of said end wallbeing provided with a notch in registry with said notch in said flap, flaps connected to the outermost ply panel of said end wall being adapted to interfit between panels forming said side walls, and tabs extending laterally and foldably from the innermost panel of said side wall and being adapted to assume parallel relationship with said end wall and snap into the-recess formed by said notches to provide an interlocked construction.

3. A one-piece blank of relatively stilt, sheet-like material, said blank being formable into an open-topped box of multiple wall thickness, interlocked construction, said blank comprising a sheet of said material scored and slotted to define a central panel having, respectively, opposed side and end edges, a panel extending from each of said end edges, said panel having a score area spaced from said end edges to divide said panel into two substantiallyequal portions, flaps extending laterally from each end of the outermost of said portions, and said outermost portions being provided with a notch adjacent the attachment of said flaps, a panel extending from each of said side edges, said panel having a score area spaced from said side edges to divide said panel into substantially equal portions, flaps extending laterally from each end of the innermost of said portions, said flaps being provided with a notch adjacent the point of attachment to the inner portion and on the edge nearest the central panel, and minor tabs extending laterally from the outermost of said portions, said tabs being of a size closely approximating the size of said notches.

4. In a carton construction having a bottom wall and a plurality of upstanding walls foldably secured thereto about the periphery, said upstanding walls being composed of a first panel foldably secured to said bottom wall and a remote panel foldably secured to said first panel, said first and remote panels assuming abutting relationship normal to said bottom wall, the improvement in the corner construction which includes a lateral flap extension foldably secured to one end of one first panel, said flap being receivable between a first panel and a remote panel forming an adjacent upstanding wall and being provided with an opening adjacent the corner, a

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,143,308 Flach Jan. 10, 1939 2,846,133 Burden Aug. 5, 1958 2,858,058 Kitchell Oct. 28, 1958 

